Lewis Hamilton has criticised Mercedes’ strategy at the Belgian Grand Prix and revealed that he wasn’t informed that he would be ‘one-stopped’ by team-mate George Russell.
Hamilton appeared set for victory in Belgium until Russell, who gambled on only stopping once, managed to overtake him.
Eventually, Russell was stripped of his victory as he was disqualified for his Mercedes being 1.5kg underweight.
Hamilton was subsequently awarded the win but had earlier expressed his frustration with Mercedes.
The British driver revealed that he told Mercedes that his tyres were fine when he pitted.
Lewis Hamilton was critical of Mercedes’ strategy following the Belgian Grand Prix
Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell banked on a one-stop strategy in Belgium
Speaking after the race, Hamilton told Sky Sports: ‘You have to put the faith in the people that you work with. I put the faith in my strategists. I should be able to lean on them fully.
‘I told them that the tyres are fine and they pulled me in. Did I know that I was at risk of getting one-stopped by my team-mate? They didn’t tell me that.
‘Congrats to George. It’s great to go into the break with such a performance.’
Hamilton was crowned the winner of the Belgian Grand Prix after Russell was stripped of his victory
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said that pitting Hamilton was the only option
Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, said that pitting Hamilton was the only option.
He told Sky Sports F1: ‘I’d like to have two winners today. But we had to cover Leclerc and Norris because we would’ve been undercut, so that was the call. George had nothing to lose. We were P5.
‘The one-stop and the two-stops were showing P5 so we just kept him out. He was very good. Lewis was very good. The strategy played for George, and not for Lewis. I’d like to have two winners today.’
‘We didn’t think it was possible. But, at a certain stage, we said ‘let’s stay out’ because we would have finished fifth anyway, in both scenarios. He made it last.’
Hamilton also prevailed at the British Grand Prix, which was his first victory since December 2021.